I've decided to add a new section called "Bottom of the Cellar" Standings. This also includes the Games Remaining... so we'll know how many games we have in hand along with the rest of the crappy teams. I'm doing this because almost all of you guys are point watching at this point to see if we'll finish last (for a better shot at landing the #1 pick).
@ 
Game Time: 5:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM EST
Location: Pepsi Center | Denver, CO
TV Broadcast: Away Team: FSN-W
Home Team: ALT (HD)
Radio Broadcast: 1150 AM; XM 237 Online broadcast: NHL Radio Internet Streams: Must use Sopcast |
Must use TVU Player 
The Colorado Avalanche should be excited about the way they're opening March, having a playoff spot within reach and anticipating the imminent return of Peter Forsberg.
The Avalanche continue their playoff push Saturday when they host the lowly Los Angeles Kings.
The Avs (33-26-6) are tied with Nashville for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but are also within striking distance of first place in the Northwest Division with 17 games to play.
Colorado is coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver on Wednesday, as captain Joe Sakic scored the tying goal with 14.7 seconds left and added another in the shootout.
The Avs are expecting another player to return soon.
Forsberg, who played for the Colorado franchise for 10 years before the league's lockout in 2004-05, agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal Monday after sitting out the first five months of the season with a right foot injury. Forsberg was named the 2003 NHL MVP, and led the Avs to Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001.
Coach Joel Quenneville labeled Forsberg's availability for this game as "very doubtful," saying he thought it was more realistic Forsberg would play Tuesday night at home against Vancouver.
Stastny has two goals and an assist in four games after missing the previous 15. He has two goals and an assist in three games against the Kings (26-35-4) this season.
The Avs open a four-game homestand with this contest, but they have been terrible at the Pepsi Center lately.
After starting the season 15-3-0 at home, Colorado is 3-8-2 in Denver since Dec. 27. The Avs have been outscored 14-5 during a four-game home losing streak, and have not dropped five in a row at home since an eight-game skid from Oct. 21-Nov. 24, 1990, when the franchise was the Quebec Nordiques.
In their only game against the Kings at the Pepsi Center this season on Dec. 29, the Avs lost 3-1. Colorado, which has won this season's two meetings in Los Angeles, has lost four of its last five home games to the Kings.
Avs goaltender Jose Theodore made 29 saves on Wednesday, improving to 3-1-0 with a 2.15 goals-against average in his last four games after losing his previous four starts. Theodore, who is just 1-5-0 with a 3.42 GAA at home since Jan. 22, is 1-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA against the Kings this season.
Los Angeles fell to Edmonton 5-4 on Thursday, losing for the fourth time in five games. The Kings have allowed a league-high 217 goals, including 11 in their last two contests.
Brown has one goal and two assists versus the Avalanche this season.
Dan Cloutier stopped 22 shots on Thursday in his third straight start for No. 1 goalie Jason LaBarbera, who is nursing a groin injury. LaBarbera's status for this game is unknown.
The Kings have a road record of 12-18-2 and their last 10 games is a record of 4-5-1.
The Avalanche have a home record of 18-11-2, and their last 10 games is a record of 4-5-1.
The Kings continue their road trip on Sunday night against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
"The second period reminded me of some of the games we used to play in when Kevin (Lowe) was playing for the team and a couple other great players were playing for the team," Los Angeles coach
Marc Crawford said. "It was end-to-end chances and it was loose to say the least. It's not really the type of game that we want to be playing."
"If you look at the game it wasn't a matter of them making great plays it was a matter of us making poor plays,"
Brown said. "They were able to capitalize on a lot of the mistakes we made in the second period. When you make that many mistakes it's tough to win games."
Los Angeles Kings
Derek Armstrong (Left knee sprain on 2/22/08) day-to-day
Jason LaBarbera (Groin injury on 2/21/08) day-to-day
Ladislav Nagy (Sore neck on 1/19/08) IR
Colorado Avalanche
Brett Clark (Dislocated shoulder on 2/13/08) IR
Jeff Finger (Hand injury on 2/22/08) day-to-day
Cody McCormick (Chest contusion on 2/10/08) IR
12/29/07 - Kings @ Avalanche 3-1 (Kings win)
12/17/07 - Avalanche @ Kings 4-2 (Avalanche win)
12/01/07 - Avalanche @ Kings 5-2 (Avalanche win)
Leading Scorers:
Forwards: 
Kopitar, LA - 62 points (28 G, 34 A, -14) | Stastny, COL - 52 points (19 G, 33 A, +11)
Defensemen: 
Visnovsky, LA - 33 points (6 G, 27 A, -17) | Liles, COL - 26 points (2 G, 24 A, -2)
GAA:
LA – 3.31 (30th in NHL)
COL – 2.69 (13th in NHL)
Avg. Goals:
LA – 2.86 (9th in NHL)
COL – 2.66 (18th in NHL)
Power Play %:
LA – 18.5 (11th in NHL)
COL – 13.4 (30th in NHL)
Penalty Kill %:
LA – 78.0 (29th in NHL)
COL – 81.3 (19th in NHL)
(As of 2/29/08)
Pacific Division Standings:
1. Dallas Stars (41-22-5) 87 pts
2. Anaheim Ducks (37-23-7) 81 pts
3. San Jose Sharks (35-21-8) 78 pts
4. Phoenix Coyotes (33-27-5) 71 pts
5. Los Angeles Kings (26-35-4) 56 pts
Western Conference Standings:
1 Red Wings 90
2 Stars 87
3 Wild 77
4 Ducks 81
5 Sharks 78
6 Flames 75
7 Canucks 74
8 Avalanche 72
9 Predators 72
10 Coyotes 71
11 Blue Jackets 69
12 Blackhawks 66
13 Blues 66
14 Oilers 65
15 Kings 56
Bottom of the Cellar Standings:
20 Islanders 69 points, 17 games remaining
21 Blue Jackets 69 points, 16 games remaining
22 Capitals 68 points, 17 games remaining
23 Blackhawks 66 points, 18 games remaining
24 Blues 66 points, 18 games remaining
25 Maple Leafs 66 points, 16 games remaining
26 Oilers 65 points, 17 games remaining
27 Panthers 64 points, 15 games remaining
28 Thrashers 63 points, 17 games remaining
29 Lightning 59 points, 18 games remaining
30 Kings 56 points, 17 games remaining
Key/Division Games Tonight:
Thrashers @ Bruins 10:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM EST
Flyers @ Islanders 11:00 AM PT | 2:00 PM ET
Penguins @ Senators 12:00 PM PT | 3:00 PM EST
Devils @ Canadiens 4:00 PM PT | 7:00 PM EST
Maple Leafs @ Capitals 4:00 PM PT | 7:00 PM EST
Lightning @ Hurricanes 4:00 PM PT | 7:00 PM EST
Predators @ Stars 5:00 PM PT | 8:00 PM ET
Sharks @ Blues 5:30 PM PT | 8:30 PM ET
Flames @ Coyotes 7:00 PM PT | 10:00 PM ET